EMERALD

“Our signature dreadnought guitar, the X20 is designed for the guitarist searching for a rich and full acoustic sound. With its carbon fiber body ergonomically shaped to fit the player's form, the X20 allows for long periods of comfortable performance.

The legacy continues. Since its release, the X20 has been Emerald Guitars’ most popular model. With subtle ergonomic refinements to the original X20 design, the newer model is an evolution, and another example of Emerald’s tradition of breaking tradition.The addition of the extended access neck design and a subtle rib bevel help with ergonomics and feel, and the contoured fretboard end and redesigned pinless bridge gave it a fresh new look – while still retaining the essence of the original X20.” – From the Emerald Website

The contrast of carbon fiber and wooden acoustic guitars has been exhaustively discussed to the very darkest recesses of the interwebs, so we will not delve too deeply into this except to offer some general perspective and advice. For starters, approaching any such comparison with an assumption/expectation of sonic similarity is not very realistic! Where carbon fiber guitars are concerned, it is important to understand that their primary purpose is to generate a satisfying acoustic presence and response while being about as indestructible and impervious to the elements as an acoustic instrument can possibly be. When assessing the high quality carbon fiber designs that exist today, there is no question that the top manufacturers have achieved this aim of crafting practically bomb-proof instruments that are still fun to play. Yet, no matter what claims or assertions might be presented by manufacturers of these guitars, the simple truth is that carbon fiber designs thus far have not been able to generate the color, nuance, and dynamic range of a top-tier wooden guitar. So, in short, there is no wooden acoustic guitar that can compete with the durability and structural resilience of a carbon fiber guitar, and there is no carbon fiber guitar that produces the richness and complexity of a great wooden guitar. Along that line, it is best to view carbon fiber guitars as a fundamentally different form of the guitar, a different food group, and embrace them for their unique merits, for anyone expecting a carbon fiber guitar to exceed the acoustic performance of a top-tier wooden guitar is bound to be disappointed!

As is true of carbon fiber guitars in general, the voice of this exotic Emerald X20 is markedly even and direct, with well-defined notes that are set against a dry tonal backdrop. However, what is particularly intriguing, if not shocking, about the Emerald design is the impact of the sound port on the projection of the guitar. In listening to this guitar from the audience’s perspective, the voice is very focused, bright, and less assertive to the point that one might make the mistake of characterizing it as thin. Yet, sitting behind the guitar, the player is greeted by a remarkably different voice that is full, wide, and boldly projected.

This guitar was kept in immaculate condition by its previous owner and has remained that way during its time in our store. We rate it as NEAR MINT condition.

• X20 Dreadnought Body
• Carbon Fiber Construction
• Arched Back
• Venetian Cutaway
• Sound Port (Bass-Side Upper Bout)
• Arm Bevel
• Amber Vibrant Weave ($350 Option)
• High Gloss Polyester Finish
• Carbon Fiber Neck
• Uni-Directional Carbon Fiber Fingerboard
• 20 Evo Frets with Extended Range to 24
• Gold Trinity Knot Fingerboard Inlays ($550 Option)
• C Neck Carve
• Slotted Headstock ($750 Option)
• High Gloss Polyester Neck Finish
• Carbon Fiber Bridge
• Adjustable Graph Tech Ghost Piezo Saddles
• Blended Pickup System: Passive K&K Pure Mini with Active Ghost Piezo ($450)
• Matte Black Schertler Tuners with Ebony Buttons (18:1 Ratio)
• Graph Tech Low Friction Nut
• 1 7/8” Nut Width ($450 Option)
• 8.25 mm String Displacement at the Nut (3 mm Offset)
• 2 1/4" Total String Spacing at the Bridge
• 11 mm Individual String Spacing at Bridge
• 25 ½” Scale Length
• 16” Fingerboard Radius
• 39 31/32” Overall Length
• 15 1/4” Lower Bout Width
• 4 ¾” Body Depth
• 19” Body Length
• 5.15 lbs
• Original Hiscox Custom Lite Flite Case